


Don’t Disturb This Groove

by BlackSansaStark



Series: The Elarisol Universe [4]
Category: Degrassi
Genre: Angst, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Humor, I Don’t Know When This Will Be Completed TBH, Romantic Fluff, crackship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:28:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 22,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28265430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackSansaStark/pseuds/BlackSansaStark
Summary: A series of random one shots, two-shots, and drabbles surrounding the relationship of Eli Goldsworthy and Marisol Lewis, from different universes. Each chapter will vary in rating. Song title is Don’t Disturb This Groove by The System.
Relationships: Eli Goldsworthy/Marisol Lewis
Series: The Elarisol Universe [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1767046
Kudos: 4





	1. 3 am

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter summary: Eli deals with a pregnant Marisol early in the morning.
> 
> Rating: M for mentions of sex and groping.
> 
> Universe: Whichever one you want it to be.

“Eli....,” he heard Marisol whine to him.

He didn’t bother to open his eyes up, nor did he even turn to face her. He didn’t have the energy to.

“What?” He grumbled.

“I could go for a triple scoop Neapolitan sundae with rainbow sprinkles, chocolate syrup, banana slices, nuts, cherries, and whip cream right now Emo Bear,” she suggested, and he could feel her pregnant belly poking at his back. He sighed.

“Princess, go back to sleep,” he muttered. So far Marisol has been....chaotic to deal with during her pregnancy. She only operated in four moods: hungry, sad, angry, and horny. It was driving him mad, and he lost count of how many times he texted Jake for help on how to deal with a pregnant wife. On her worst days, he hid from her somewhere in their apartment, but she _always_ found him. He loved his wife to hell and back but he would be relieved when the baby was here. The one upside was that she was somehow more beautiful than ever.

“.....What about a seafood platter with crab fries, scallops, clams, mussels, and oysters, and Old Bay seasoning? I also would love that,” she continued, and this time she was deliberately poking him with her belly to get him to do it.

This time, Eli opened his eyes and looked at the clock beside their bed. He groaned out loud when it read 3:00 am.

“It’s not even daylight yet. Mare, go back to bed. Please,” he insisted tiredly. He nearly jumped when he felt her reach into his boxers and grab his dick.

“What about your dick? You can give me that right now, can you? I’m always hungry for that,” she purred as she rubbed up and down his length.

He rolled his eyes. Great, now she was horny. While he has been enjoying the random blowjobs and cowgirl riding Marisol was giving him these days, he was starting to think he needed a break. Sex was starting to hurt honestly because Marisol always wanted it. Plus they just had sex like seven hours ago.

“That can wait until the morning,” he said as he resisted the urge to get aroused under his wife’s soft touch. He thought of something utterly disgusting, like Fitz having sex with someone.

“But Elijah....,” she begged.

“Go back to sleep, now,” he ordered.

“But-“

“ _Now_ ,” he repeated more sharply this time. He then pulled her hand out of his boxers and wrapped his part of their blanket around him tighter for emphasis. Marisol often hogged up their blanket while moving around like a wildcat in bed, but he wasn’t in the mood for any of that right now.

“I hate you,” she spat, and he didn’t have to look to know that she was pouting right now. He rolled his eyes again and went back to sleep. Marisol didn’t say anything more, but he knew he was going to get an earful later this morning.

Three more months of this. 

Great.

  
  
  
  



	2. Thunderstorms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex, Eli and Marisol’s oldest daughter, gets scared during a thunderstorm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rating: T for for mentions of sex
> 
> Universe: Any except Needy Bees

She was scared.

Alex tried to sleep under the covers as thunder and lightning raged outside but she couldn’t not. She was shivering. She hated loud noise. It sent chills down her spine that she couldn’t control. 

Normally she would sleep with her tv on as she was too scared to sleep with total darkness, but she wanted to be a big girl now to make Mama and Papa proud. As the heavy rain poured outside, she squeezed Marcus, Papa’s toy fox, to make her feel better. She closed her eyes and tried to think of something nice to make her go to sleep.

Then the thunder cracked against the sky.

BOOM! 

Alex screamed as she jumped out of her bed and ran out of her room.

* * *

“The main chick in this movie has such a hideous taste in fashion. Those boots are tacky,” Marisol commented in disdain. She then sipped her cranberry juice coolly. 

“Is that all you can think about during this scene? It’s the most important part of the movie,” Eli replied with slight annoyance.

“I can’t pay attention to a scene if the clothes, hair, or makeup is atrocious, darling. You know that by now,” she responded while he rolled his eyes.

They were having their typical late night movie watch. When it was Friday and all of the girls were asleep (which was not an easy thing that could happen some nights), they would cuddle together on the couch while underneath a blanket and watch a movie that one of them picked out. They would enhance the experience with popcorn, candy, and expensive liquor. As Marisol was six months pregnant right now, wine currently was out of the question so she substituted for juice instead.

Sometimes (well most of the time....), they would also get in a nice sex session during or after the movie. Marisol actually wanted sex right now. With a playful smirk, she reached out and squeezed Eli’s groin, causing him to groan in pleasure.

“This is an important scene, Princess,” Eli said, trying to come up with a weak reason for her to stop. But they both knew he didn’t really want her to. Marisol only bit her lip seductively before leaning over and kissing his ear. She decided to whisper in his ear.

“You know what’s more important, Big Boy? This pus-“

“Mama, Papa,” Alex called their names as she entered the living room, sniffing. There were tears streaming down her face as she hugged Marcus to her chest. Both parents noticed that she was shaking.

Whatever arousing feelings they had immediately evaporated when they saw their kid.

“What’s wrong Little Mama?” Marisol asked in concern while Eli looked on in worry. When she wasn’t distracted by video games and books, Alex easily fell asleep and usually didn’t wake out of it early compared to their other daughters.

“Th..thunder,” their oldest child whimpered as the sound of thunder loudly cracked again. That’s when they remembered that Alex was terrified of storms. Oh.

“Aww come here, baby,” Marisol told Alex gently as she lifted up their blanket for Alex to crawl underneath. She practically ran to them as she snuggled herself between her parents. Marisol threw the blanket back on.

“It’s just thunder. We’ll protect you,” Eli added with a warm smile as he soothingly rubbed her tiny back. With his free hand, he changed the channel to a kiddie one as the movie they were watching was _very_ explicit with sex and drug scenes. Not very appropriate for their six year old. A Disney movie was more fitting, plus it would help her sleep more.

“Can I lean on your tummy, Mama?” Alex asked nervously.

“Of course, Little Mama,” Marisol answered immediately.

“Will it hurt Wilma?” Alex questioned further as she looked at her mother’s pregnant belly. 

“Nope. She likes kicking though,” Marisol replied with a shrug. Alex nodded as she laid her head on her stomach. Marisol then protectively wrapped her around her little girl as they all watched the new children’s movie together. It didn’t take long for Alex to fall asleep.

Marisol and Eli looked at each other in amusement. Their daughters could be such cockblockers sometimes but they were willing to prioritize them over anything.

Such were the complex realities of parenthood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A basic guide for Elarisol’s kids
> 
> Alexandria “Alex”- Born 2019. Has Asperger’s Syndrome like yours truly. Very sweet and shy.
> 
> Dawn- Born 2020. Bratty, snobby, dramatic, and very girly. Pretty much what I imagine Marisol was like as a kid XD.
> 
> Yvette “Evie”- Born 2022. Adventurous with morbid curiosities. A baby goth like her daddy.
> 
> Wilmarie “Wilma”- Born 2024. Very bubbly, friendly, bright, and curious.
> 
> Astoria “Tori”- Born 2030.


	3. Ugly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A pregnant Marisol doesn’t feel pretty, and Eli helps her with that

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rating: Explicit. If you’re not comfortable with sexual content then skip this one please. 
> 
> Universe: Any except Needy Bees.

She was so ugly.

Marisol looked at herself in the body mirror, which turned out to be a mistake. She looked like shit and have been looking like shit since she started showing. Her face was bloated and broken out, her breasts and feet were swollen, and she was shaped like a whale. She was surprised Eli even was willing to even look at her right now.

Marisol knew that this was all apart of pregnancy and that none of this would matter in a few months when their beautiful little girl was here, but she still felt so hideous and undesirable. 

She started crying.

* * *

“Honey, I’m home,” Eli announced playfully as he entered their apartment. After a long day of being a production assistant for some small-time director, he was looking forward to seeing his pregnant wife. He still couldn’t believe he was married at twenty-five with a baby on the way. While they didn’t plan on having kids so early, he was still very excited to be a father, especially to a girl.

When he didn’t hear a response, he got confused. “Mare?” He called his wife’s name as he scanned their apartment. There was still no response. Was she not home?

Their puppy, Royalty, was sleeping in a corner. Eli had to be careful not to wake her up.

He peeked around the kitchen, the bathroom, the guest bedrooms, and then the room that was going to be the nursery. Then he heard sniffling from their main bedroom. He opened the door and immediately got concerned at what he saw.

Marisol was laying on their bed, crying.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” He asked gently as he sat on the bed. She only kept crying. “Talk to me, babe,” he insisted.

“I’m gross. How can you look at me and want me when you’re surrounded by these pretty actresses every day?” She asked him. 

Oh no, he was dreading this stage of the pregnancy.

“Those actresses aren’t carrying my child and even if they were, they wouldn’t look as beautiful as you are right now. How could you think you’re ugly?” He pointed out with a frown. 

“I look disgusting!” She yelled out in frustration as she got off the bed. She was only wearing the nightrobe he bought her for her birthday this year. “Look at me. Don’t tell you don’t see a difference,” she argued.

“I do see a difference. You’re more beautiful than ever, and you’re glowing,” he replied.

“You’re just saying that to make me feel better.”

“I’m not and I’m about to prove it to you.”

Eli got off the bed as well and stood in front of her. Even when she was wearing no makeup and had her hair tied up in a lazy bun, she was drop dead gorgeous. He truly had eyes only for his wife. He could go on and on that he loved her personality more than her beauty but he knew that she wanted to feel desirable right now.

“Your skin is so soft and smooth. I love how it feels underneath my hands,” he began as he started caressing her face, “I love your eyes. Even though they are dark, I can feel every emotion in them and they’re beautiful. I love your cute little nose, and the way you flutter your eyelashes. I love your smile because just seeing it in the morning brightens my day. I love your lips with or without your glamorous lip gloss because they taste so sweet against mine,” he paused a bit before saying the next part..

“And I love the way your lips feel around my cock when you suck me,” he finished with a sultry smirk. Her reaction nearly made him chuckle. There was complete surprise as she didn’t expect him to go there. Well he was just getting started.

“I love how you can take all of me in your mouth and how I can hit the back the back of your throat so easily. You drive me crazy when you give me head, you know that right? You make me weak,” He added. She was still staring at him in disbelief.

He reached for the sash holding her nightgown together and pulled at it, which exposed her naked body in one strike. Perfect, since she was already naked, he didn’t need to strip her. He pulled her gown apart and looked over her body lustfully.

Other than the pregnancy belly, wider hips, and bigger breasts, Marisol didn’t change much. In fact, he loved her body even more now because she was carrying their baby and looking flawless while doing so.

“Your body is so sexy, Princess. I don’t know where to begin,” he continued as he gently pulled off her nightgown completely and let it fall to the ground. He softly squeezed her shoulders. “I love kissing your neck and shoulders, and leaving marks on your skin. I love letting the whole world know that you’re mine,” he said as he softly cupped her breasts next, “I love your breasts and how they fit perfectly in my hands. I love your nipples too and how hard they get when I suck them,” he growled, and she bit her lip in arousal in response.

“Eli....,” she moaned, and he knew she was getting wet. Perfect.

“I love kissing your stomach, especially now. I love squeezing your hips while I make love to you. I love kissing your inner thighs, but not as much as I love kissing your clit before licking it. I love eating your pussy and how it makes you moan so loud,” he said while continuing to give her a sultry grin. He felt between her legs, and she was *definitely* wet now. “I love grabbing your ass while I’m pushing in and out of you.”

“Eli...,” Marisol repeated, and there was hazy look in her eyes.

“Yeah?”

“Make love to me.”

“My pleasure.”

He passionately kissed her, and she returned it hungrily while she reached down and unbuckled his jeans. After a few moments, she pulled apart and bent over their bed. He quickly got behind her and pulled down his pants, freeing his dick. He positioned himself at her entrance before pushing inside of her. Marisol immediately started crying out as he filled her up. He gripped both of her hips as he thrusted slowly in and out of her. She was very wet around him, wetter than usual, and it felt so good. 

“Fuck,” she moaned out as she clutched their bed sheets tightly. He pushed her deeper into the bed.

“Yeah that’s right, take my dick. You’re really good at that,” he growled out while getting faster. He then slapped her ass. She whimpered in response.

Marisol arched her hips in a way that allowed him to push deeper inside of her. He couldn’t stop moaning himself as he hit that sweet spot of hers with every pump. It didn’t matter what position they were in as being inside of his wife was going to be an ethereal experience regardless and he enjoyed every bit of her.

Eli felt himself getting more sweaty, and his breath growing more haggard with each thrust. He squeezed her shoulder as he pounded harder inside of her. 

“Eli!” She screamed while throwing her head back in bliss. Her walls began to clamp down around him, which signaled to him that she was releasing soon. His own stomach coiled as his thrusts grew more erratic. 

They came at the same time with matching cries. After spilling inside of her, he let out a final grunt as he slowly pulled out of her. This was quick, but he was pretty sure she got the point that he was never going to stop desiring her.

Marisol crawled on the bed, and he quickly followed. They took a couple minutes to breathe. Then Eli rolled over to face her, and the tears on her face were dried up for now. 

He kissed her sweetly on her temple. 

“I love you. Always,” he proclaimed before kissing her nose as well, then her lips.

“I love you too,” she replied, giving him a smile. 

“You’re the most beautiful woman in the world that I wouldn’t trade for anyone else. Please remember that,” he told her before kissing her again.

From her smile, he could tell that she believed him in this moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Royalty is a white Pomeranian that Eli gifted Marisol after they moved in together. She’s very pampered and spoiled.


	4. Fake Dating

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marisol needs a quick way to make her ex jealous, and Eli is the only guy available.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rating: T for cursing and mentions of sex.
> 
> Universe: None. This is an AU that takes sometime during New Beginnings.

_Monday_

Marisol was crying in front of her locker as she thought about her recent breakup with Owen. He had just dumped her because he claimed there weren’t any sparks in their relationship anymore and that she was acting like a nag. She guessed that by no sparks, he meant her not giving him sex every time they were alone and that he was only calling her a nag because she demanded better than locker room hookups and date nights at the Ravine with his burnout friends.

 _‘Hmph. Asshole,’_ Marisol thought angrily to herself as she took out pictures of her and her now ex-boyfriend and ripped them up. _‘After all I have done for him including taking him back after cheating on me and he thinks I’M the problem?’_

Despite what a lot of people, including Owen, thought, she wasn’t an idiot. Owen was probably fucking another girl behind her back again and decided to break up with her before she found out. She wouldn’t put it past his scummy ass. _‘Well I don’t need him, his empty brain, his stupid eyebrows, and his ugly ass dick anyway.’_

She was considered one of the hottest girls at Degrassi by the male population. Moving on from Owen Milligan would be a breeze, and he would probably be salty as hell over it considering how inflated his ego was. He would get a kick out of her crying over him so she needed to stop it right now and move onto someone else immediately.

But who?

Her best friend, Katie, had already snatched up Drew Torres who was one of the most popular guys in school. His younger brother Adam was cute and single but Drew would probably hate it since he didn’t like her. Jake Martin was tall and hot but did she really want to date a guy who was willing to date his step-sister? KC Guthrie refused to speak to her again after their affair ruined his family. Dave Turner was a loser _and_ cheater, that’s two strikes and enough to turn her off before a third one. Connor DeLaurier was stealing underwear last year. Mo Mashkour was annoying. So who was left?

After wiping her tears away, Marisol Lewis looked around the school hallway to find someone. She didn’t even need to be in a serious relationship with this guy, they just needed to make her trashy ex jealous. Anyone would be perfect.

As multiple guys walked the hallways, she scanned through them all until her eyes settled on one guy, and he was walking with earphones in his ears.

It was Eli Goldsworthy, the school’s emo freak and hearse crashing maniac. He was single because he creepily tried to get his ex-girlfriend, Clare Edwards, to stay together with him by crashing his car into a wall for her. Then he wrote that crazy Love Roulette play about their relationship to try to win her back. Even without those two glaring incidents, he was annoying, pretentious, and thought himself better than everyone else. Plus he was only an inch taller than her. Truly all of the worst qualities a boyfriend could have.

Yet she was desperate.

Closing her locker, Marisol reapplied some strawberry-flavored lip gloss, put on her best fake smile, and seductively made her way to him. She stepped in front of him, which made him look at her in apprehension as he took out his earbuds.

“Can I help you with something?” He asked dryly.

“Yeah you’re Eli, right?” She asked back while fluttering her eyelashes. Inside, she was already ready to fight him for his attitude. 

“Yeah…,” he replied while raising an eyebrow.

“And you’re single?”

“Where are you going with this?”

“How about I give you the greatest gift a guy could ever ask for? Me as a date,” Marisol offered while running her fingers through her hair flirtatiously and putting her hand on her hip.

Eli stared at her blankly.

“You’re kidding me, right?” He asked flatly as if the suggestion was the craziest thing in the world.

“No, I’m serious. I’ve noticed your…uniqueness, Eli, and I think I need that in my life,” she clarified as she struggled to find positive qualities in him, “You’re...smart...handsome...creative….”

“I’m quite frankly not in the mood to be the victim of some popular kids’ prank so I suggest you let me move right along,” he replied sharply as he shoved past her. The gall of the action nearly threw her off and drove her to curse him out. How dare he reject her when most guys in the school would fight to get a taste of her? Luckily for him, she held her temper in and simply grabbed his arm.

“Look, Owen dumped me and I need to make him regret it, and getting into a new relationship with another guy will do that,” she explained and she hated how desperate she sounded, “You’re probably the only available guy left in this school, and I can make it work. We don’t even have to be a real couple, I’ll pay you to just act like my new boyfriend for a bit!”

“You want to pay me to go out with you?” He asked incredulously.

“Five bucks a day,” she offered. It was reasonable pay for a weirdo of his caliber.

“Ten bucks,” he replied while folding his arms, and she bristled at the gall he had again.

“Going out with me should be a treat for you! I’m not giving you ten bucks,” She turned down, but he only folded his arms in response.

“Five bucks isn’t enough for dealing with you,” he sneered. She wanted to slap him. There’s no way fake dating her would be the worst thing for a freak like him. She was worth more than gold.

“Fine. Seven bucks, and I’m not going higher than that,” she warned. He then flashed that annoying smirk of his in response.

“I’ll take it,” he replied with amusement in his eyes.

“Great,” she said with a thin smile, “Now here’s what you’re going to do….”

* * *

_Later that day_

He couldn’t believe what he got himself into.

As Eli got his lunch for today, he thought about how he possibly already made his biggest mistake of the school year and it was only September.

Marisol Lewis was the antithesis of everything he stood for. She was a shallow, dumb, mean-spirited vixen that only cared for parties and waving around her stupid poms poms at football games. Not even her best friend, Katie Matlin, was safe from her cruelty as she outed her friend’s eating disorder for an election last year. She was the worst.

Yet she somehow suckered him into fake dating her to make one of her exes jealous. He didn’t know why he agreed to the deal when he was about to be very miserable for a while. He had a feeling seven bucks a day wasn’t going to be enough for him.

He searched for a random table to sit in the cafeteria. All of his friends had different lunch periods, and thus he sat alone by himself every day. He didn’t mind as solitude often brought him a peace of mind. 

When he sat down at an empty table at the back of the cafeteria, Marisol came out of nowhere to sit across from him with her own tray of food. She had a fake smile plastered on her face.

“Eli,” she greeted him flirtatiously and he looked at her in confusion.

“Why are you sitting here?” He asked her while looking at her plate of food. He was shocked to see a burger and cheese fries on it with a bottle of ice tea. He figured she would only drink water and eat salads.

“We’re supposed to be dating, and normal couples sit together at lunch, Eli,” she pointed out and he had a feeling she wanted to roll her eyes but couldn’t due to them being in public.

“You’re really taking this fake dating thing seriously, aren’t you?” He asked while looking around the room. People were already staring at them. _Great_.

“Uh _yeah_ , that’s the point Emo Boy,” she replied in annoyance, “Now let’s talk about pet names…”

“I don’t do pet names,” he said, cringing at the thought of anyone calling him honey, boo, baby, pookie, sugar, or anything else disgustingly sappy.

“I do,” she replied, “I really like being called baby or babe.”

“Of course you do,” he said while resisting the urge to roll _his_ eyes. Was there anything else about this girl that wasn’t typical other than apparently her meal choices?

She pursed her lips at his words. “I’m a simple girl that likes simple things. Is there really anything wrong with that?” She questioned.

“No, no, it’s what I expect from a girl like you,” he answered with a dismissive shrug. His answer made her scowl at him. Good, maybe if she got annoyed enough she would call off their deal.

“And what do you mean by girls like me?” She demanded.

“Silly, boring cheerleaders that only put effort in boys and makeup and nothing else,” he answered casually.

“You’re a real piece of work aren’t you, Goldsworthy?” 

“Only when it comes to annoying princesses,” he bantered while smirking. She sighed in aggravation.

“Can you at least _try_ to act like I’m not abhorrent to you. I’m not this horrible monster I promise,” Marisol pleaded, and he was surprised to detect some hurt in her voice. He found himself softening immediately but he kept his edge.

“It’s hard to not think that when you walk around the school as if you’re a queen and we’re your peasants,” he reasoned.

“Because I _am_ a queen. Is it wrong for a girl to have confidence in herself?” 

“Not when you look down on anyone that isn’t like you. Plus you ruined a family last year,” he pointed out.

“KC made the ultimate choice to step out on his family, I only helped him do it. If it wasn’t me, it would have been someone else. But no one ever talks about that, right?” She shot back with a piercing stare. “I shouldn’t have helped break up a family but I’m tired of me getting all the scorn when he _chose_ to sleep with me.”

“What about how you told everyone your own best friend was bulimic to win an election?”

“I apologized to Katie for that and we made amends, not that it’s any of your business what goes on in our friendship. Do you really think you have room to judge me for my mistakes when you crashed your hearse into a wall over a girl?” She questioned him with a glare.

“I was sick in the head and didn’t see my behavior as wrong,” he argued.

“Well not only was it wrong, it was creepy as hell. If a guy did that to me, I would file a restraining order especially if he wrote a play afterwards about our relationship,” she said, “I’m not a perfect angel but neither are you, Emo Boy, and I’m not going to let you of all people sit here and demonize me. Now can we _please_ act like people in a relationship. I’m not paying you to act like your usual charming self.”

“So you think I’m charming?” He teased her to distract himself from her words.

“I mean charming in the most sarcastic way,” she replied flippantly.

“But you have to find something about me attractive. There’s no way a ‘queen’ like you would offer a peasant like me the glorious opportunity to fake date you if there’s nothing about me that tickles your fancy,” he teased her. “So what is it? Is it my _dazzling_ green eyes? My _dark_ aura? Or how about my smirk? I’ve been told it’s sexy….”

“Well it’s definitely not your arrogance that’s for sure,” she snarked.

“I would imagine that arrogance is a requirement to date you,” he assumed. He didn’t know much about K.C. other than what Clare told him, but humble was not a word to describe Owen Milligan. At all.

“I think I’m quite done with arrogant assholes at this point,” she replied while shaking her head, “All they do is hurt me anyway when I try my best to make them happy.”

He watched as she finally started eating her food. Her eyes were sad, and he could see that she had deep hurt about how her last few relationships went. He felt bad.

“Even though we’re not dating for real, I don’t want to hurt you. I’m not a horrible monster either, just a little fucked up in the head. You probably think I’m some vampire but I promise you I don’t bite,” he assured her. 

For the first time ever, the ends of her lips twitched up in a genuine smile at him. He was surprised at how beautiful it was.

“Good, I’m more of a werewolf girl anyway,” she joked.

* * *

_Tuesday_

“How long are you going to keep this up, Mare?” Katie asked her critically as they worked together on the study guide for their anatomy quiz. Everyone was allowed to work in pairs and she of course chose her bestie, who was way better at this subject than her.

“As long as I can,” Marisol answered with a shrug as she went through pages of their textbook to look for answers.

“You do know that everyone can’t stop talking about you and Eli’s ‘relationship’ right?”

“That’s the goal, Katie-kins.”

Her best friend sighed. “Mare, you would blossom so much if you didn’t go out of your way to be the center of gossip every week,” she said.

“Well it’s not hurting anyone. I can look as if I’m moving on, and Eli can add that he dated the most popular girl at Degrassi to his pedigree,” she replied as she looked at Eli, who was working with Jake on the other side of the room. Katie followed her gaze and frowned.

“How can you even stand to be around Eli when he’s literally the exact opposite of the guys you usually go for? I know you just picked the first single guy you saw in the hallway but there’s no way you’re actually enjoying this,” Katie argued.

“Eli’s actually not that bad to be around, Katie. Yeah he’s a bit broody, but he’s nicer than he looks and it’s refreshing to be around a guy that can talk about books he likes to read,” Marisol argued back as she continued to watch Eli and Jake. Eli finally looked up and met her gaze. 

He flashed her his usual smirk and she felt her cheeks burn as she smiled back. She wasn’t ready to admit this to anyone yet but Eli was actually really cute. He had pretty eyes, nice lips, rich black hair, and looking back at the times she saw him kiss Clare, she really liked the way his jaw tightened when he kissed her. He seemed to put a lot of passion into it.

Oh God….was she thinking about kissing Eli?

Katie seemed to read her mind, or at least suspect her of something. “Mare...you’re going to actually start liking him, aren’t you?” Her best friend asked suspiciously.

“Uh no, this is just temporary. I would never actually date Eli,” she dismissed, and she tried her best to look disgusted at the very idea. She was positive that her and Eli would last two seconds before they had an explosive breakup if they dated for real. They were too different.

However, a small part of her was curious to see how it would work and she hated it.

Or at least she thought she did.

* * *

_Wednesday_

Eli had his arm wrapped around Marisol as they walked out of class together and he had to admit the feeling wasn’t….bad.

Marisol was only an inch shorter than him, but it still worked and they looked like a genuine couple to other students. Other Degrassians were giving them confused looks as nobody was really used to seeing an emo kid and a cheerleader “date”. He wanted to scare them all off with a glare as not only did he not like being the center of attention, but he was getting weirdly defensive about his “relationship” with Marisol. So what if they were an unlikely couple? That didn’t mean they were _bad_. Him and Clare worked for a bit even though they were almost polar opposites.

All of his friends kept clowning them, and while Eli was willing to encourage it at first, he just didn’t want to tolerate it anymore for some reason even though this wasn’t a serious relationship. He was finding out quickly that Marisol wasn’t _that_ bad. Sure she was kind of a bitch and wasn’t into the same stuff as he was, but she was showing herself to have a soft side..

“Let’s go to my locker before lunch, okay Emo Bear?” She requested as her locker came into the view in the hallway.

“ _Don’t_ call me that,” he warned, cringing in disgust at the pet name.

“I have to call you something, don’t I?” She asked.

“Yeah just Eli is fine,” he replied flatly.

“You have no issues with calling me Princess,” she pointed out as she broke apart from him to open up her locker. He leaned on the other lockers next to her.

“Because it fits you. You’re my spoiled, pampered princess,” he answered, then watched as she took out a tube of pink lip gloss. 

“I prefer you see me as beautiful and fierce,” she replied.

“Nah the first two fit you more,” he teased with a smirk as she rolled her eyes in response. He really got a kick out of messing with her, because he thought she was actually kind of cute when she was annoyed. She then looked in the mirror as she effortlessly re-applied a new layer of lip gloss to her lips. She popped her lips, and he could see well her lips shimmered under the new coat. It was...oddly attractive to him, and he usually wasn’t one to really pay attention when a girl applies makeup. But Marisol took such care in her appearance every day that it was hard _not_ to pay attention.

She was a very beautiful girl with or without makeup though. It was something he had to admit after three days. Three days of her not scowling at him and sneering at his presence made him notice her illuminating dark eyes, adorable smile, and full lips. He could see why guys wanted her even if he didn’t understand at first. Her aura was almost intoxicating.

She popped her lips again, and something stirred in him.

“You know, most couples kiss each other….,” he pointed out. She turned to face him.

“Yeah, they do but you wouldn’t want that, wouldn’t you?” She questioned him.

“I mean we have to keep up a charade, don’t we? It’s what you’re paying me for,” He answered, and it caused her to look at him in a mixture of confusion and disbelief. He stepped closer to her. 

“You actually want to kiss me?” Marisol asked him with a raised eyebrow while looking around the halls. “There’s really no one here to see us.”

“But in case someone does, we need to play the part,” he said as he stepped even closer to her to the point their noses were almost touching. He really had no idea why he wanted to do this but his mind was in another place.

She looked at his lips, and he could actually see the desire in her dark brown eyes. “Yeah….,” she agreed with a slow nod. What happened next was something he could only blame on his hormones.

Without much thought, he leaned forward and gently pressed his lips against hers in a gentle kiss. He felt her kiss back. He noticed two things immediately.

One, her lips were as soft and they felt light as a feather. 

Two, due to the flavored lip gloss she was wearing, her lips tasted as sweet as strawberries.

When they pulled apart from each other, he licked his lips to savor the taste of her. She tasted unexpectedly good.

“Um...wow…,” Marisol said in shock while blinking her eyes. They didn’t say anything for a few seconds as they chose to just look at each other instead.

Then they both leaned forward and kissed again.

* * *

_Thursday_

Marisol spent the entire morning avoiding Eli as a result of yesterday and he was avoiding her back. It was awkward but expected to their actions yesterday.

Not only did they kiss again, but they then skipped the entire lunch period to make out in her car. If someone walked by and saw them, they would definitely believe they were actually dating.

That wasn’t supposed to happen. This was only supposed to be a fake relationship to make Owen jealous. She did not intend to develop actual feelings for Eli because girls like her aren’t supposed to date guys like him. It was wrong and would affect her social standing. At least that was what she was trying to tell herself.

But she couldn’t deny that she was attracted to him. Eli Goldsworthy, despite his creepy emo look and emo tendencies, was really attractive and there was something about his bad boy allure that drew her in. Now that she knew that he was an _amazing_ kisser, she was even more attracted to him now. No guy she had ever been with had kissed her with as much passion as Eli did, and now she was seriously wondering if actually dating him would be that bad.

He didn’t have that creepy ass hearse anymore so she wouldn’t have to worry about being seen around town in that. He had cut his hair somewhat so while it was still shaggy, it didn’t look like a dirty untamed mop on his head. His skin was no longer that unhealthy pale color he had last semester, and when he smiled instead of smirking, he actually looked normal.

He wasn’t evil. He was still a little pretentious and his attitude was still irritating at times, but he was kinda sweet. Would dating him actually be that bad?

 _‘He could get really obsessed with you like he did with Virgin Edwards,’_ a small, dark part of her mind whispered, _‘He could stalk you, and kill you if you try to leave him, or use you for a blood sacrifice.’_

It was a part of her mind that she was slowly coming to realize was dumb. Eli was pretty much harmless. So what was stopping her from actually going out with him, other than her paranoia? He was cute, nice, and can actually hold an intelligent conversation. She was willing to give them a chance.

Marisol walked the halls to search for Eli, and she saw him talking with his friend Adam by the locker. They seemed to be in deep conversation about something.

“Hey,” she greeted Eli with a soft smile, getting his attention. He looked at his friend hesitantly, and Adam nodded before walking away.

“Hey,” he greeted back, and something about his tone was throwing her off. It was **cold**. She cleared her throat before she began to speak.

“So yesterday happened and I think there’s something actually growing between us, Eli,” she declared as she leaned on the locker next to his locker in a flirtatious way.

“We just got caught up in the moment, nothing serious,” he dismissed, making her smile fall. There’s no way he actually believed that, did he?

“I didn’t see it like that. You practically licked all of the lip gloss off of me, and my lips were swollen like hell by the time we were done making out,” she pointed out while resisting the urge to touch her lips for emphasis. 

“Then I guess that means I put on a good performance,” he replied with a shrug as her mouth dropped.

“There’s no way that was just you putting on a good performance, Eli. Come on, there were sparks flying between us, don’t deny it,” she argued while folding her arms. She was getting scared now because of his attitude. 

“I’m sorry, Mare but there are no sparks. This was supposed to be a fake relationship but you’re actually taking it seriously. I think it’s time to cut this thing off,” he rejected her as he moved past her without a second glance. 

Her mind didn’t register that he turned her down for a moment. She watched his figure in the hallway get smaller and smaller, expecting him to turn around and change his mind. He never did. He didn’t want her. She had just made a fool out of herself for nothing.

Marisol started to cry as she walked to her next class.

* * *

_Friday_

He was prone to making mistakes when it came to girls and Marisol was no different even if she was his fake girlfriend. Now, like always, he had to fix his latest one. It was up to her if she forgave him.

Eli waited in the parking lot before school for Marisol to pull in. He had a bouquet of fresh roses in his hand that he had just bought from a flower shop this morning. Fiona had given him the idea as she told him that most girly girls like Marisol would appreciate flowers as an apology.

After a couple of minutes, Marisol drove up in her convertible with Katie and some niner in the car. When she saw him, she fixed him with a nasty glare and he was prepared for her to come out of her car and bitch him out. After parking her car, she and the other girls got out and started quickly making their way to the school. He acted immediately.

“Marisol!” He called her name as he ran up to her and the other girls.

“What do you want?” She demanded angrily while refusing to stop walking.

“To talk,” he answered, as he walked with them.

“I’m not in the mood for talking, Emo Boy,” she rejected him.

“Please, Marisol. I’m begging you,” he pleaded, and she sighed in frustration before stopping. She gave Katie and the niner a nod to go on without her, and they both reluctantly did. She turned around to face him with a look of pure annoyance on her face. 

“Look Eli, you made it clear that you have no intentions of really going out with me so why bother even talking to me anymore?” She questioned him.

“Because I actually do want to go out with you!” He answered, and watched as her eyes shifted in disbelief. “I got scared after we kissed on Wednesday and it caused me to act irrationally. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy kissing you so much because this fake relationship wasn’t supposed to become more than that. We’re polar opposites, Mare,” he explained.

“Well I was starting to think that it wouldn’t be a problem between us. I don’t know how, but I genuinely like you Eli, and if you like me, does it really matter that we’re so different?” She countered while folding her arms. 

“I was involved in a deep relationship with Clare last year and it ended badly. I don’t want a real relationship with you to crash and burn as well,” he admitted.

“Why assume that we would, instead of actually giving us a chance? Starting over with someone else means that you’re finally letting the hurt from a previous relationship go. I’m willing to do that with you but if you’re just going to project your drama with Clare onto me then-”

He grabbed her and kissed her firmly on her lips, throwing her off guard. Today, her lips tasted like fresh bubblegum. When he pulled apart from her, her face was frozen in shock, but her eyes were no longer angry.

“You don’t have to worry about that, because I want a fresh start. And I want you to be my fresh start,” he proclaimed as he held out the bouquet of roses to her, “Marisol Lewis, will you allow me to take you out on a date at The Dot after school today?” He asked her with hope in his voice.

She pondered his offer with an unreadable suggestion on her face. He felt his body tighten in anxiousness at her answer. If she rejected him like he did to her yesterday, he would deserve it but it wouldn’t make his day any less awful.

When a smile grew on her pretty face, he knew the answer.

“So, what am I wearing?” She asked him excitedly as she finally took the roses.

* * *

_Sometime next week…._

Owen Milligan scowled as he watched his ex-girlfriend sit together with her new boyfriend at lunch. It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

When he dumped Marisol for being an annoying nag for the fifth hundred fucking time, she was supposed to cry and lose her shit like she always does, and then beg for him to take her back. Their dynamic has been like that since freshman year, and he was expecting this time to be no different especially since he didn’t cheat first before they broke up. He was looking forward to getting another makeup apology blowjob from her.

Instead, Marisol was now dating _Eli fucking Goldsworthy_ for some reason, and they genuinely looked to be a happy couple. The guy had to be everything that would normally turn Marisol off yet his ex-girlfriend was currently sitting on Eli’s lap, giggling as she fed him a slice of pizza. It was freaking weird and unnatural.

“For such an odd couple, they seem to have a lot of chemistry,” Drew observed while watching them as well. “Katie said that Marisol does nothing but talk about how great he is.”

“Good for her. I don’t give a shit but good for her,” Owen replied sarcastically. His friend simply shrugged before taking a bite out of his burger.

Marisol turned and met his gaze from across the lunch room. He stared intensely at her, hoping for her to break and reveal that she was bullshitting with this “relationship” with the school cuckoo.

Instead, she just looked back at her boyfriend and smiled sweetly at him. Eli smiled back before they shared a tender kiss.

The only thing Owen could do was growl in response.

His ex-girlfriend finding happiness while he was just turned down by three girls this week shit was _so_ unfair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m currently taking prompts so comment if you have an idea!


	5. New Years

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eli surprises a sad Marisol with New Year’s Eve dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rating: T for cursing
> 
> Universe: Probably Rocket Love.

This was definitely a crap year and one she hoped to never experience again.

As Marisol laid around in her and Eli’s bed, sulking, she thought about how much 2020 had fucked all of her plans. She was supposed to go on a girls trip with Katie, Bianca, Fiona, Imogen, Clare, and Becky to Barbados, she was supposed to fly back to Toronto with her family for Caribana, her and Eli were supposed to visit their families for Christmas with their baby, and they were also supposed to host this year’s New Years Eve party.

Instead, due to the coronavirus pandemic, they spent nearly all of 2020 holed up in their NYC apartment with their very sulky firstborn daughter and she had nearly went mad more than a few times over it. The last time she had seen any of their friends in person was at Becky and Adam’s New Year’s Eve party last year. She had never felt so sad and lonely, and she missed taking in clients for her job as a makeup artist. 

The worst part? 

She got unexpectedly pregnant right around when the pandemic first started and thus had to spend every waking minute for the next nine months worrying about her and her unborn daughter being put in danger from coronavirus. While her first pregnancy with Alex was naturally stressful, with Dawn she was constantly paranoid and scared the whole time. Eli was also paranoid, but tried his best to remain calm for both of them.

When she gave birth to Dawn three weeks ago, the experience was somehow far worse than it was with Alex. It was more stressful, more painful, more exhausting, and worst of all scarier. She didn’t want to have another kid for at least two years.

She was miserable this whole year and her and Eli couldn’t even go to Times Square this year to say goodbye to this shitfest. It was hell.

She prepared to go to sleep early tonight when Eli suddenly came in and pulled their blanket off of her. 

“Get up, Mare. Let’s celebrate New Years, together,” he ordered.

“Fuck New Years. Fuck this year, I just want to sleep it away,” she replied back acidly as she reached for their blanket but Eli yanked it away. She scowled at him.

“Nuh uh, you haven’t even eaten dinner yet. Get up,” he insisted as he grabbed her arm. 

“Fuuuuucckkk dinner. I’m not even hungry,” she argued but let her husband drag her out of bed. Despite not wanting to get out of bed, she didn’t feel like fighting off Eli.

“You’re about to be. Now come on!” 

Eli led her out of their bedroom and into their kitchen and small dining room, where there were two plates of home cooked food laid out on the table with a candle in the center. It was lit and slowly burning, making the room dimly lit. She immediately saw that Eli had baked crab cakes and she could also see steak and mash potatoes. There were also two glasses of strawberry champagne on the table. It was one of her favorite types of mixed drinks.

“Woah,” Marisol commented in amazement as her mouth watered at the sight and smell of seafood and garlic. Her stomach rumbled, and suddenly she was very hungry now. She was always down for Eli’s cooking no matter what as he had a gift for it. Was he better than her? No, but he came pretty damn close at times.

She looked over across the living room, and both of their baby girls were pre occupied with something. Alex was at the table in her high chair and was drinking on a bottle while Dawn was sleeping peacefully in her cradle by the couch. Royalty was sleeping peacefully on the couch.

She turned to face her husband, who had a proud smirk on his face.

“I know you’re sad that we couldn’t invite our friends over this year or go down to Times Square, but that doesn’t mean we can’t do anything nice for New Years. So, let’s celebrate the end of the year with a nice dinner,” he offered her as he walked over and pulled out a chair for her to sit down.

Marisol smiled softly as she sat down. One thing about her husband was that he loved his romantic gestures. She had only wished that he had let her know ahead of time so she could dress up. Her current attire, which was pajamas and a night robe, wasn’t really sexy.

“Crab cakes are the the quickest way to make me feel better,” she replied, and let out a soft moan as she felt her husband massage her shoulders. She relaxed under his tender touch. He leaned down into her ear.

“Anything for my goddess,” he said seductively before nipping at her ear lobe. The act was enough to make her horny but unfortunately nothing could come out of it due to her recently giving birth. Sex was another thing she missed greatly right now but her husband cooking nice dinners for her was enough romance for now.

“I guess there’s still something to be grateful for this year,” she said as Eli left her presence to finally sat down across from her.

“And what’s that?” He asked.

“You, our babies, and our puppy. I love you, Eli, and the family we’re making together,” she answered sweetly, which made her husband beam in response. 

“I love you too, and I’m also grateful for the life we’re building together. It may not be going as well as we planned, but at least we’re in this together,” he assured her. “Now let’s say goodbye to 2020 together.”

They then each held up a glass of strawberry champagne, and she couldn’t have been more excited to have some of her husband’s homemade champagne, especially when the occasion was bringing a new, hopefully better year.

“To 2021,” they said together before sharing a toast to the new year.


	6. Locked In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eli and Marisol accidentally get locked in school after it closes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Universe: None
> 
> Season: 12A
> 
> Rating: T for regular teen swearing and kissing

He doesn’t know how long he’s been working on the script for Romeo and Jules, but judging by how tired he was getting, he figured it was time to stop and go home.

Eli sighed as he closed his notebook with the notes for the play and packed up for the night. Romeo and Jules could possibly be the hardest project he had ever done, and it needed to be perfect for his NYU portfolio. It didn’t help that Becky Little Miss Sunshine Baker dropped out from co-directing the musical due to the oh so horrifying aspect of the main romance being between two guys. He would say that he was disappointed but anyone who was Christian and came from Florida was bound to be a terrible person. He was just glad Clare was never like that.

Some days, he was fine with the fact that they’re no longer together but other days he greatly missed her and their relationship. After him and Imogen broke up, he wondered if there was ever another chance between him and Clare but she got back together with her ex KC during winter break. So now that was gone.

He supposed it was for the best as Clare drove him to crash his hearse on purpose and write a play to win her back, but for a whole year he was madly in love with her. It was hard trying to come to grips with the fact that they were truly over. Well, at least they were talking as friends again. And he had more time to work on himself so he wouldn’t ruin whatever relationship he had with the next girl. So there was that.

As Eli walked the halls of the Degrassi to finally leave school for the day, he wondered if another relationship was in the cards for him right now. He burned things with Clare and he burned things with Imogen twice. What available girls at Degrassi would want to date a guy like him?

When he got to the entrance of the school, he reached to open the front doors.

They wouldn’t open.

Eli frowned in confusion as he tried to yank the doors open but to no avail. “What the hell?” He asked out loud to himself. The sky was rapidly darkening outside and he needed to get home before dinner. His mother was cooking steak and garlic mash potatoes, one of his favorite meals. 

How long did he actually work on the play? Did he overwork to the point he got himself locked inside the school?

‘Fuck,’ he thought to himself in a panic as he spent the next of minutes walking around Degrassi to see if the other entrances were locked. To his horror, they all were. The janitor must have locked up the place and didn’t know he was still inside. ‘Shit, shit, SHIT,’ he panicked inside his head as he ran his fingers through his curls in stress. He couldn’t believe he was this stupid.

He was pacing around the school, trying to think of a way out of this when he heard the sound of heels clacking against the floor. Relief flooded over him. If it was a teacher, then they must have a way to get out of the school, right? His face brightened up as he looked to see who it was.

Whatever hope he had deflated immediately when he saw who it was.

Marisol Lewis, class president, Power Squad captain, and resident evil bitch, was desperately trying to open the front doors like he was earlier. 

“I don’t think even the strength of Wonder Woman is going to open those doors,” he dryly remarked.

When she turned around and saw him, she stopped what she was doing and immediately approached him in a fury. “Emo Boy, what is going on? Why are all the doors locked?” She demanded.

“I think the janitor locked up the school without checking to see if any students were still inside,” he assumed.

“Ugh, are you serious? Katie and I were supposed to go shopping tonight to celebrate the weekend!” She whined, and he nearly rolled his eyes. If there was one thing his classmate seemed to be obsessed with, it was shopping, clothes, and makeup. Perfect interests for such a vapid and shallow girl.

“Yeah, well, now we’re stuck for the night,” he grumbled.

“Me? Locked inside with you? Not an ideal way to spend the night,” she commented with a sneer.

“You think I want to spend hours locked in the school with Degrassi’s witch more than I have to? Your head might be more empty than I thought, Princess,” he sharply replied, already fed up with her attitude. Just who did she think she was? The Queen of Degrassi? 

“Excuse me?” She barked as she folded her arms.

“Don’t act like it’s not true. I’m pretty sure the only thing your brain runs on is lip stick and making people’s lives a living hell. Katie Matlin is a bitch, but she’s not the scum of the earth like you and at least she has a brain,” he insulted her, and adrenaline rose in him with every word. He truly couldn’t stand this girl. From the way she turned her nose up at anyone who wasn’t a cheerleader or a jock, to the way she was willing to backstab anyone disgusted him to the core. He couldn’t wait to never see her again in four months.

She pursed her lips tightly at his remark and he figured that he must have gotten under her skin. Good. 

“You think your opinion on me matters when you crashed your car over a girl that dresses like she’s a nursing home resident? _Your_ ego must be bigger than I thought, and I assumed it was the size of the Atlantic Ocean! The only thing _your_ mind runs on is creeping everyone the fuck out with your psychotic antics! Fiona is really dragging herself down by hanging around a crazy freak like you!” Marisol shouted at him, making him bristle at her ignorant remarks. He stepped closer to you.

“I’m not psychotic or crazy, I have bipolar disorder. Something you would have been educated more about if you actually paid attention in class other than texting on your phone and smacking your stupid lipstick!”

“UGH, it hasn’t even been a minute and I already want to kill you Goldsworthy! I’ll be in the student council office, DON’T come in and talk to me!” She ordered before turning away and storming off.

“You don’t have to worry about that. I want to be as far away from you as possible!” He yelled back at her before making his way back to the auditorium.

If this lasts all night, then he was in for literal hell.

* * *

She hated him, GOD, did she hate Eli Goldsworthy.

Marisol Lewis tried not to break her phone into pieces as she texted Katie about this truly awful situation. She spent time after school trying to plan out events for the student council and it was enough to get her locked in with the school maniac for the night.

There were so many things she hated about him. She hated his pretentious, overdramatic attitude. She hated his stupid shaggy black hair. She hated the way he spoke in class as if he was a genius and everyone else was a moron. She hated his rude, mean spirited remarks. She hated his morbid, emo style. She hated his stupid, lopsided smirk that pissed her off every time he flashed it. She even hated the way he ate apples. He was just that abhorrent as a person.

She didn’t understand how any girl would even want a loser like him after how he treated Clare and Imogen. She didn’t even like Imogen because she was a weirdo like him but she heard they broke up because he was getting possessive. He was probably trying to drink her blood while she was sleeping to keep them together forever. She wouldn’t put it past him.

As she tried to distract herself by playing Temple Run on her phone, her stomach growled. She was getting hungry.

 _‘There’s some vending machines outside the caf,’_ she thought to herself as she got up. Then she sat back down. _‘Butttttt I heard there’s ghosts that haunt the school after a certain time of night....,”_ she remembered fearfully. She heard there were ghosts of a kid that shot himself in the head in the 90’s, Rick Murray, who caused a school shooting when she was in seventh grade, and J.T. Yorke, who wasn’t killed on school property but students still claimed to have seen him roaming the halls looking for his “oatmeal”.

She shivered at the thought. Ghosts terrified the shit out of her. She _so_ wasn’t going down there alone but who was going down there with her?

There was only one person available.

* * *

Since he was locked in here for the night, he might as well continue working on the musical.

Eli was back inside the auditorium, sitting down at a table and writing notes for what costume design he wanted for the characters. No matter what the theme was, Fiona was going to work her magic and design perfect uniforms. He didn’t know how his life would turn out if he didn’t have her by his side.

He tried not to let Marisol’s remarks about his mental issues in the past get to him, because she meant nothing to him, but he still felt a little hurt that he was considered some monster by some parts of the student body for his actions last year. He did a lot of things that weren’t right last year, but his mental state was fucked up at the time and he didn’t see them as wrong. When he got treatment and started properly taking his meds, he made amends with everyone he did wrong but that apparently wasn’t enough for Princess Lewis.

 _‘At least I didn’t fuck someone who had a family,’_ he thought acidly, ‘ _Or out my friend’s trauma for a stupid high school election. Or throw someone under the bus instead of taking accountability for the senior prank.’_ There were so many offenses Marisol Lewis had committed, and she had the nerve to judge him? Popular kids really had a lack of awareness, didn’t they?

He heard heels clacking against the floor again, and tensed when he turned around and saw Marisol approaching him again. What the hell did she want? To yell at him again and call him more ableist terms?

The look on her face wasn’t confrontational though, it was fearful for some reason. “Can you walk me down to the caf?” She asked him in a small voice.

“Why?” He asked back. She took a deep breath as if she didn’t want to answer his question.

“I’m hungry, and there’s vending machines down there, but I don’t want to go down there alone,” she explained stiffly. 

“What are you like, five? You think some big scary ghosts are going to come get you?” He questioned and the vulnerability in her eyes said it all. “Wait, you actually believe those rumors about ghosts haunting Degrassi at night?”

“No!” She answered defensively. “But...it’s hard not to think that when it’s nighttime and we’re the only people in the school right now.” He couldn’t help but chuckle at the answer. She was really spooked by anything, was she? He remembered how she kept raving about a serial killer coming to kill them while they were in Jake’s cabin last summer. She was probably one of those people that thought he and his family were satanic cannibals.

“You would think Degrassi’s Witch wouldn’t be terrified of some peasant ghosts,” he remarked.

“ _Stop_ calling me that,” she demanded with a scowl on her face, “I’m not a witch, I’m president of the student council who just doesn’t want to go down there alone. Don’t make me beg for you.”

“Maybe if you said please. I doubt it’s in your vocabulary but you can at least try,” he suggested, and watched in amusement as she bristled. It was hilarious how easy it was to get under her skin.

“Emo Boy…”

“Nah uh. No Emo Boy. Just Eli.”

“ _Eli,_ ” she said his name through gritted teeth, “Can you _please_ accompany me down to the vending machines by the caf?”

He smiled sweetly as he got up from the table. “See how easy it is to be nice? Maybe I can teach you how to say thank you next.”

Her dark eyes flashed in anger at him, and he just knew she was telling him to go fuck himself in her head.

* * *

The walk down to the cafeteria was silent and awkward, but it was for the best. The more her and Eli talked, the more she was convinced that they were going to kill each other by the end of the night.

She was disgusted that he got her to say please when he should be grateful that she was even asking him in the first place. She didn’t even want to acknowledge him for the rest of the time they were locked in together, but desperate times resorted to desperate measures.

There were three vending machines by the entrance to the cafeteria. A soda machine, a snack machine, and a coffee machine. She headed to the snack machine and bought two bags of mini chocolate chip cookies. Then she went to the soda machine and picked out a bottle of Dr. Pepper for herself.

“Pretty unhealthy snack options for a cheerleader, don’t you think?” Eli asked her in a snarky tone of voice as she picked up the bottle. She turned around to face him. 

“Does that mouth of yours ever get tired of spitting out constant smart remarks?” She asked back tiredly. 

“No, I’m an endless snark machine,” he answered with his usual infuriating smirk. She wished she had the energy to claw it off of him, especially since her pink nails were long enough to do it, but she was just tired of him at this point.

“Well stop the machine right now because I’m no longer in the mood for this,” she commanded. “Well, I’m never really in the mood for your irritating remarks anyway, but I’m asking you nicely to stop.”

“The princess is asking me _nicely_? Well I guess I have to do it now,” he replied in amusement as he bought his own drink and snacks from the vending machines.

“Oh for fuck’s sake, just SHUT UP Eli! For once in your life!” She yelled as she stomped towards him while he picked up a bottle of Pepsi. “You don’t know how much stress I’m under every day running both student council _and_ Power Squad. Now I’m locked in the school for the night with some rude asshole that won’t stop coming at me!” She snapped, finally fed up with him. She almost wanted to cry in frustration.

Eli didn’t say anything for a moment. He just stared at her in shock. There was a tense pause between them.

“I’m under a lot of stress too you know, I have a musical to direct that’s premiering in a few weeks. You’re not the only person that has a lot on your plate right now,” he argued.

“Yeah, well, Romeo and Jules is a temporary thing. Being president and being cheer captain is something that I have to do at the same time for the rest of the year,” she pointed out.

“I don’t think being captain of a team that does nothing but flips and twirls at a basketball game is a stressful thing to do,” he assumed, which made her let out a bitter laugh.

“Why don’t you take my place at the next Power Squad practice and find out?” She challenged him. “You may look at cheerleading and assume it’s the easiest sport to do but you have no idea of how much energy and exercise we put in to make a perfect routine. Then again, the most exercise you probably do every day is writing out sad poetry about your exes,” she added with a sneer.

“Now who’s making assumptions?” He asked her. “I use the school gym twice a week for workouts. You think only jocks use it?”

“Probably not, but you of all people using the punching bags is a laughable idea,” she answered.

“Not if I’m imagining that I’m punching the face of someone I don’t like. Punching deplorable people in the face is enough motivation to put some real work into that punching bag,” he countered with a shrug. He began to walk back, and she quickly followed him.

“Deplorable people like me?” She asked him, weary of him saying yes.

“I would never put my hands on a girl even if it’s you,” he answered.

“Gee thanks,” she replied sarcastically. “What about your kill list? Am I on it?”

“I don’t _have_ a kill list, Marisol. I’m not some unhinged school shooter in the making, okay? I’m a normal student at Degrassi just like you and your posse,” he sharply said as he stopped their walk. “I may have bipolar disorder, but I don't have any murderous urges and it’s disappointing for you to even think that when you as school president is supposed to be a voice for the student body. There’s nothing wrong with having a mental disorder.”

“What else am I supposed to think with the way you crashed your funeral car into a wall for your ex?” She questioned him defensively, but she was starting to feel a bit assholish for her remarks.

“I was sick in the head and didn’t know it. Now I know better, what’s your excuse for some of the shit you did? Are you even remotely remorseful for ruining a family and telling everyone Katie’s business for no reason?” He demanded out of her.

“Not that it’s any of _your_ business, but I realized how wrong I was for the terrible things I did during junior year a long time ago. But it’s all in the past now, and everyone has moved on,” she explained. “I apologized to Katie over the election, and our friendship is now stronger than ever. K.C. and I don’t talk anymore, and Jenna and I don’t even talk about him when we’re holding student council meetings. You have no right to keep bringing up my past mistakes especially over situations you know _nothing_ about.”

“Well the same goes for me. Stop throwing the shit I did last year in my face when you have no idea what I was going through at the time and I won’t do the same to you. Do we have a deal?” He offered her as they started walking again.

“Fine,” she agreed. This was probably the closest they would ever come to a peace offering.

The rest of their walk back to their designated areas was quiet.

* * *

After a “meal” of sour cream and onion potato chips and Pepsi, Eli spent the next hour continuing to work on the musical, only to finally stop for the night. He wasn’t sure how long he would be able to keep writing good notes for the musical before he started writing nonsense due to how tired he was.

He was also bored as hell and lonely too. He figured he might as well bother Marisol since she dragged him out of the gym earlier to help her get some snacks.

He wasn’t going to lie to himself. The way she got angry, truly angry, was scary and he could see why people avoided her when she was in a bad mood. It’s why he decided to stop antagonizing her. He didn’t feel like getting his eyes clawed out tonight.

She was in the student council room playing some game on her phone. When he walked in, she looked up at him in confusion. “What are you doing here?” She asked him.

“I figured you needed some company,” he answered as he casually pulled out a chair and sat next to her. He looked over and saw that she was playing some trivia game on her phone.

“Or you just want to bother me,” she replied with a raised eyebrow.

“That too,” he agreed, and she shook her head while rolling her eyes. 

“If you don’t act like you want to kill me every two seconds, then you would find that I’m a great person to be around,” he said, which made her snort in response but she continued to play her movie trivia game. The question for the current round was what film had the line “Say hello to my little friend!” 

“Oh really?” She asked as she tapped _The Godfather_ , which was the wrong answer. She frowned as the screen flashed red. “What else do you do but snark at people?”

“Provide correct answers to the movie game they’re playing. That line is from _Scarface_ , an amazing film,” he answered and she tapped the correct answer and proceeded to the next round.

“Never saw it,” she replied with a shrug.

“How? It’s a classic!” He asked in disbelief. Al Pacino was one of his favorite actors because of his performance in this movie and The Godfather movies.

“I don’t watch violent movies,” she answered as she tapped Mean Girls for the question “Which of these movies featured Regina George as the main antagonist?”

“What do you watch?” He asked again, already knowing the answer.

“Comedies, romances, and musicals,” she replied.

“Typical.”

“And what do you watch, Goldsworthy? Nothing but horror movies I bet,” she assumed.

“Sometimes I change it up a little and watch the occasional action or drama,” he answered. The two of them really couldn’t be anymore different. How long would a relationship between them last? Two days? Two hours?

Wait, why would he even think about them dating?

“Don’t you get tired of watching the same shit over and over again? Wouldn’t it have an effect on your psyche?” She questioned him.

“Not really, horror movies are just that, movies. I don’t let someone’s fake decapitated head traumatize me. Anyway, I should ask the same about you. Wouldn’t watching nothing but chick flicks give you an unrealistic expectation of what people are supposed to be like?” He countered.

“No, I’m pretty sure my sense of reality is pretty strong,” she rejected.

“Really, because you seem to think just like the characters in that Mean Girls movie. That anyone that isn’t considered popular by you is a loser that deserves to be made fun of,” he pointed out critically. 

“Well the world is all about popularity, isn’t it? No one at the top is going to accept people like Imogen Moreno,” she argued.

“And how would you know that? Imogen is going into art and design after high school, and she has the creativity and individuality necessary to succeed in that field,” he replied, defending his best friend. “What skills do you have to offer after high school other than waving around pom poms and applying lip gloss? I doubt those are going to be important in law school.”

“Makeup _is_ the field I plan on going into after high school, and I’ll have you know that I’m pretty damn talented at it. You may not see it as a respectable hobby like crying over Shakespeare plays but I love makeup and I want to spend the rest of my life doing it,” she declared.

“Then don’t be rude to people for doing what they like. People like me and Imogen are not hurting you by being ourselves, why look down at us?” He questioned as he really wanted to know for some reason.

“I don’t know! I just know what I was raised to think,” she answered.

“You were raised to be shallow and stuck up? Yikes,” he replied.

“Hey my Daddy raised me with the knowledge that there’s respectable ways to act in polite society and not so respectable ways to act in polite society, and driving around in a hearse and wearing cat ears to school is _not_ respectable,” she explained.

“And what you did with K.C. was a respectable way to act in society?” He asked her with a piercing stare.

“You weren’t supposed to bring him up anymore!” She scolded.

“You brought up Morty.”

“K.C. told me he was going to leave Jenna for me and we made a real connection.”

“But you didn’t wait for him to actually leave her.”

“Where he then _chose_ to fuck me without coercion and with no regrets until he got caught. But nobody ever talks about that, right?” She asked him sharply as she paused her game to glare at him. “I’m the whore that stole a boy away from his happy family but K.C. isn’t the whore for walking out on them in the first place? K.C. wouldn’t stop saying how bitchy Jenna was the whole time we were hooking up so obviously he was just waiting for the first girl who was willing him the attention he needed, and that happened to be me. Why do you give a fuck about what went down in our relationship? It’s not any of your business!”

“Because I’m trying to figure out why you think you’re so much better than me when you’re not a perfect princess,” he explained while folding his arms. They really couldn’t go two minutes without arguing.

“Well, you got your answer. I’m not supposed to think highly of kids like you, but you proved your point multiple times that you’re better than me. Are you happy now, Eli?” She asked him angrily.

“I’m not saying I’m better than you-”

“That’s not what you’re saying? That you, Saint Goldsworthy, who only does things when he’s off his meds, is better than me? The homewrecker and bully? The school bimbo? What’s a girl like me compared to a _genius_ like you? The teachers love you, you’ll probably be valedictorian, and you’ll go off and be some millionaire. Good for you, now leave me the fuck alone _please_ ,” she pleaded.

“Marisol-” 

“No, if you’re just going to sit here and tear me apart for everything I did, then I don’t see why you need to be here, Eli,” she argued.

“Because there has to be more to you than this,” he replied, “There’s no way you’re just an attractive cheerleader that only cares about boys, chick flicks, and lipstick.”

“I primarily wear _lip gloss_ ,” she corrected him, “And why would it matter to you what I am?”

“Because all humans are complex creatures with hidden depths, even you, and I don’t want to leave this place still thinking you’re the worst,” he answered. He actually didn’t know why he was bent on unpacking Marisol Lewis. He honestly shouldn’t give a fuck considering what kind of person she regularly portrayed herself as every day at school. 

“So this is how you want to get to know me? Most people do icebreakers,” she replied dryly, but there was a layer of hurt in her voice. 

“I’m not most people, Marisol. You probably know that by now,” he said. He then bit his lip as he realized he was probably going too far again. Truth to be told, her affair with Clare’s ex wasn’t his business and he really had no right to keep throwing low blows at her over it.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized, “I can’t help but be a snarky asshole sometimes, and it escalates things. I’m no saint myself and I don’t have a particularly clean record with my romantic entanglements either. We both have some work to do in that area.”

“I think after spending a whole summer crying over what I done with K.C., I have done enough work and that’s not even factoring my other romantic entanglements before him. I want another chance at romance,” she said as she went back to her game.

“I just blew my third chance at romance a couple months ago with Imogen. I think I’m destined to be a huge fuckup when it comes to girls,” he grumbled as he thought about how disastrous his relationships with Julia, Clare, and Imogen were. “I might be destined to be alone forever, and maybe I deserve it.”

“Nobody deserves to be alone. You’ll find a girl, Eli. Just work whatever magic you have to keep getting these girls into you and you’ll be fine,” she assured him, and for the first time her tone came off as not hostile towards him. It was actually….sweet.

“Thanks, you’ll find another guy too,” he assured her back, and he saw a soft smile from her in return. She had really cute dimples, he realized.

He wasn’t going to admit it to her, but he thought that she was really pretty when she wasn’t scowling at him.

* * *

After their talk, they decided to sneak into one of the classrooms to get some games. Most of the classrooms were locked but Mr. Perino of all people had his open. From the classroom, they got games such as Monopoly, Checkers, Dominos, Sorry, Battleship, Trivial Pursuit, and Jenga. For the next hour, they competed very competitively with each game but Marisol was surprised at how much fun she was having with Eli.

He wasn’t…..that bad to be around honestly. Now that he was no longer throwing snarky blows at her and scowling at her, she was seeing a more lighthearted side of him. He joked around and while he still teased her, it was in a more playful manner. 

It was then she realized that Eli was cute the more she looked at him. More than cute, really. He had pretty green eyes, a strong jawline, a nice attractive smile, and his shaggy black hair popped well against his peach skin.

He was fine as hell, actually. 

“Come on, say it,” Eli said to her with a smirk after he sunk her last battleship. She had lost the game.

“No,” she replied defiantly as she glared down at her red grid with all her sunken ships. Eli had steamrolled her basically this whole game. It was embarrassing.

“Come onnnnnnn,” he pressed her, only for her to fold her arms in response. “I know you lost Marisol, just say it.”

“You sunk my battleship,” she muttered bitterly. He then pumped a fist into the air with excitement.

“Yes! Three out of three,” he bragged.

“Yeah, yeah, fuck off,” she replied.

“Aww, someone’s a sore loser. Wasn’t expecting to lose all these games to an emo boy, weren’t you?” He teased her.

“Maybe if you weren’t so insufferable,” she shot back as she pulled out her phone to text Katie.

“I think you’re starting to enjoy it,” Eli replied as he got up to get another game. While he was doing that, Marisol for some reason got the urge to stare at the back of him after looking up from her phone. He turned around with a box of cards games, and while she tried to quickly divert her eyes, he unfortunately caught her just in time.

“Like what you see, Princess?” He asked her with a smirk.

“Pfft, no. What are you even on about?” She asked back with fake disgust in her voice. He walked up in front of her.

“You were staring at my ass,” he pointed out.

“I was not,” she lied. He chuckled before putting the box on the table. He then put his hand on the table and leaned forward close to her face.

“You were,” he replied, “You’ve actually been checking me out for the last hour. Don’t think I haven’t noticed.”

“You’re arrogant as shit. There’s nothing about you that I would find interesting,” she denied. He chuckled again while shaking his head.

“There is nothing wrong with finding me attractive, Marisol. You’re just in denial because you don’t want to admit it,” he argued.

“I don’t like emo boys. My types are jocks,” she said, folding her arms tightly again. She tried not to let it be known that she was secretly enjoying how close they were together right now. The way he was coming onto her had an energy she found desirable. It felt hot.

“And what have jocks ever done for you?” He asked her.

“They give me status. They protect me,” she answered. _‘They then cheat on me, pressure me into sex, or use me for an affair then throw me away afterwards when they feel guilty,’_ she thought darkly to herself. Now that she thought about it, she had been dating nothing but scrubs since she was in middle school.

“Is that all you want out of a relationship?”

“No…..”

“Then maybe you should look beyond just jocks. They don’t seem to be working out for you,” he reasoned.

“And what? Date a guy like you? What can you do for me?” She seriously questioned.

“Plan out romantic activities for us to do other than fucking in the locker rooms or under the bleachers,” he dryly replied, “I like movies. I like concerts. I also just like spending time with people. And I can offer protection too.”

“Like what?” 

“I can gather the hair of your enemies into a locket and curse them forever with my demonic powers,” he joked.

“You’re fucking ridiculous,” she replied flatly, blinking her eyes.

“It’s part of my charm,” he remarked. 

Her eyes fell on his lips. They were full and a vibrant, lush pink. Her skin heated up as she thought of what it would be like to kiss them. It was distracting her from her more rational thoughts.

“I don’t like emo boys,” she repeated, more as a mantra to herself than him. “I don’t find them attractive.”

“Then why do you look like you want to kiss me?” He questioned, staring intensely into her eyes.

“I don’t know…..,” she answered in confusion while shaking her head.

“Would this help?” He asked her.

And then he kissed her.

The quickness she displayed with opening her mouth up to allow him to deepen the kiss surprised her almost as much as the actual kiss. Her mind was slowing down as their tongues connected while Eli cupped her cheek. He was a great kisser to her discovery, and more passionate about it then any other guy she made out with. 

He pulled away from her, but the fire in her belly didn’t leave.

“Well?” He asked again, and she saw it in her eyes that he was just as surprised at what he had done as she was. Did being locked in together for a few hours really push them to make out with each other? Were their minds slowly melting away from this situation?

Well, if it was true there was nothing more she could do about because for some reason she wanted to keep kissing Eli Goldsworthy.

“I still don’t know, Eli. I think we’re going to have to try this again,” she answered with a sly smile as she looked at his lips again.

He smirked before pulling her into another deep kiss.

* * *

He had the Queen Bee of Degrassi in his lap, making out with him.

The school president and cheerleading captain was allowing him to thrust his tongue in and out of her mouth while she moaned every other moment. The most popular girl in school was letting him grip her ass in his hands without a care in the world. This situation was truly bizarre, and he didn’t know what was going to happen after this, but he did know now that he was enjoying this. _Immensely_.

Marisol pulled away from him, panting, and he could see how smeared her lip gloss was from their kissing. Her actual lips were swollen from him biting them. Her long black hair was a little messy from him running his fingers from them.

She was beautiful like this. Well she was always beautiful, that couldn’t be denied even from him. But now that she was a little unkempt and pleasant, he really noticed her positive qualities. There was her dazzling smile, cute dimples, big dark eyes, and glowing brown skin. It was no wonder most of the male population considered her the most desirable girl at school. And she was making out with him of all people.

Eli watched her with a hazy look in his eyes as she ran her fingers down his chest. “I wasn’t expecting this,” she said while fingering his arrow necklace. Her hands were soft, gentle, and warm.

“Are you regretting this already?” He asked her, worried about her answer. He was greatly relieved when she shook her head. 

“No,” she answered before pressing her lips against his again. His hands went back down to her ass, and squeezing it was giving him quite an intense rush. 

They were in the middle of getting very intense when the police stormed in. They immediately stopped what they were doing and shared an awkward look with the officers, who looked very uncomfortable at walking in on them.

“You two are the teenagers locked in here? Come with us,” the female officer commanded, and she already turned her back so she didn’t have to look at them.

Marisol numbly got off his lap, and he was already missing her warmth. They quietly complied as they followed the officers out of Degrassi. It was nighttime. After Marisol explained their situation, the officers asked if they were okay and when they got the confirmation, they got back in their car and drove off.

It was now just them.

“Do you want me to drive you home?” She asked as she tried to fix her hair by running her fingers through them. While he watched her, he felt mesmerized. It was like everything she did was attractive now.

“Yeah….,” he answered with a nod. Right now he was willing to do anything to spend more time with her.

As he followed her to her convertible, he wondered how a few hours being locked inside Degrassi made him enamored with Marisol Lewis.

* * *

The Goldsworthy house was in an unexpectedly quiet and nice suburban neighborhood. She honestly thought he lived in a shack in the middle of the woods. She realized now how ignorant that line of thinking was and a part of it was because she was into him now. 

“Well here we are,” Marisol said to him as she pulled up in front of his door. “What a night.”

“Yeah,” Eli agreed, but he didn’t make any move to get out the car. He instead looked at her in expectation of something. “Are we going to come back to school on Monday and pretend this never happened?” He asked.

“Depends, do you want us to?” She asked back as she thought about it. What would people think if the most popular girl in school went out with the emo theatre kid? They would get weird stares for sure. Then again, she was the most powerful girl at Degrassi, the opinions of hundreds of strangers shouldn’t matter to her. She should be allowed to date whoever she wanted, and as of tonight, she wanted to give the emo theatre kid a shot.

“Not if I’m going to be your dirty little secret that can’t be seen when you’re with your friends,” he replied.

“I have no interest in that kind of stuff anymore, Eli. I like you and it’s not going to matter what people think,” she assured him.

“Good, because tomorrow there’s a milkshake with your name on it at The Dot and I’m willing to pay for it,” he offered. He was already offering to pay for their dates.

“Looking forward to it. Goodnight, Eli,” she replied with a smile. He smiled back before leaning over and kissing her again. It was a gentle, soft kiss with a lot of promise.

“Night,” he said back as he finally got out of the car. They waved each other farewell, and she began to pull off. She saw his smile turn into a smirk, and her stomach fluttered at the sight. He really was hot, wasn’t he? And it wasn’t even just that he was hot. Eli Goldsworthy was charming, introspective, and surprisingly sweet until that snarky attitude.

Who knew that being locked in the school for the night would lead to her falling for yet another cute guy?

But unlike the others, he was different and she had a feeling that him being different was going to lead to something beautiful.


	7. The Ultimatum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marisol wants to get married. Eli seemingly does not. Marisol comes to New York City during Eli’s spring break to give him an ultimatum.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rating: M for graphic sex after they come home from dinner. 
> 
> Universe: You Really Got A Hold On Me

As Marisol got off her plane and left the terminal, she couldn’t stop the intense anxiety she was feeling right now.

For the fourth year in a row, she was in New York City to visit Eli while he was at NYU. Normally she would visit him during fall break while he would go back to Toronto for Spring Break, but they decided to switch it up for their senior years. Between visits, they would Skype or talk on the phone every day, and it almost made up for the lack of physical contact. Seeing Eli only a few times during the school was rough for her, and it was why summer break was a godsend for them. However, lately she had been growing tired of their long distance relationship.

Eli was graduating this year from NYU but he was remaining in New York at his apartment, and that was where the problem rose for her. 

They have been together since the end of their junior year in high school, and their five year anniversary as a couple was in a few months. After five years, she knew one thing for certain: she loved Elijah Goldsworthy and wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. Most high school relationships don’t survive long and especially during university, and for their relationship to still be as strong as it was right now meant to her that it was time to take it to the next level. She wanted to get married.

However every time she brought it up to her boyfriend, Eli dodged the question and said he would think about it. This had been going on since Christmas break and it was frustrating her greatly. They were both graduating from university this year, and after that was adulthood. Did he expect for them to just keep this long distance relationship going between them with no promise of anything further than that? She loved him, but no. She thought of him as more than just her boyfriend, he was her soulmate and five years was a long enough time to figure out what she ultimately wanted out of their relationship. What was scaring her was not knowing what he wanted.

So this trip was going to be different from the rest. She was going to give Eli an ultimatum, which was that he HAD to discuss marriage with her, and if he had no interest in marrying her within the next few years then there was no need for them to be together. This was possibly the last time she would ever see him, and the thought was troubling. She didn’t want to do this but she wasn’t going to go for years on end without a ring.

When she entered the baggage claim area, Eli was waiting for her on a bench while on his phone. He was dressed in his typical band shirt, leather jacket, black jeans, black sneakers, arrow necklace, and spiked bracelet. He happened to look up, and when their eyes met, a big smile broke out on his face. He immediately got up and made his way towards her.

“Well well, if it isn’t my princess,” he greeted her enthusiastically while pulling her into a tight hug. She put on her best fake smile while hugging him back. They pulled apart only for Eli to passionately kiss her in front of everyone. She allowed it, if only because she missed the feel of his lips on hers.

He gave her a deep but loving look after breaking away from her. “How was your flight?” He asked her as he followed her to the baggage carousel to pick up her suitcase. It was a medium sized pink one with a glitter style. She was only going to be here for a week, but she overpacked anyway like she always did. Eli took it for her since she was already carrying a smaller, carry on bag with her purse.

“It was alright. I took a nap,” she answered with a shrug as they walked outside to wait for a cab. Even though Eli had a car since sophomore year, he still preferred to take public transportation so he didn’t have to pay for parking at the airport.

“I’m glad. I’m really excited to see you, but you already know that,” he said with a smile as he pulled out his phone to call a cab.

She wished she could say the same.

* * *

“I get reservations at this exquisite seafood restaurant in downtown Manhattan for us. It’s Sunday at seven,” Eli told her excitedly as he led her inside his apartment. It was always a little messy from what she could see whenever she Skyped him, however the whole place was spotless whenever she visited it. It touched her how much effort he put into making sure she was comfortable at his place.

“Really? I love that,” she replied as her stomach tightened in anticipation of amazing seafood. 

“Yeah, it’s why I asked you to bring some fancy dresses. This is a very fancy place for fancy folks, Mare,” he warned her lightly as he set her suitcase against the wall. She put her carry-on bag down next to it. She then went to sit down on one of his sofas in front of the TV. Her boyfriend’s apartment was rather nice and cozy for a college student, but she also knew his rich grandparents were covering most of the rent every month.

“Well I’m certainly looking forward to some fine dining,” she replied happily.

Eli then slid beside her on the couch and wrapped his arm around her. 

“So what do you wanna do now? I have some ideas,” he asked her with a suggestive look in his eyes.

“Like what?” She asked, playing dumb. He only smirked in response.

“Hmm I don’t know,” he replied in a sultry tone before leaning forward to kiss her softly. She kissed back, only for him to push her down on the sofa next. “Woah,” she said as she pushed him off of her. “Not now, Tiger,” she rejected him.

Eli sent her a confused look as she rose up. 

“I need to get settled in and I’m hungry,” she explained as best as she could, and it wasn’t a complete lie. She  _ was  _ hungry and she was never in the mood for sex while she was hungry. But the real reason was that she wasn’t going to give him any pussy on this trip unless he agreed that he wanted to marry her. And if he didn’t….well then he wasn’t going to get any at all because they were going to be over.

“Okay, you want me to order a pizza or something? Or order takeout?” He asked.

“I could go for a nice pan pizza and some barbecue wings,” she answered while her stomach rumbled. New York had some amazing pizza and it was always a treat to have some while she was visiting.

“Cool I’ll order,” he replied while opening up his tablet. She watched as he went into a delivery app to order a small pepperoni pizza, 12 piece barbecue wings with the matching sauce, and a two liter bottle of Pepsi. After placing the order, he put his tablet back down and turned on his TV. He wrapped his arm around her and buried his nose into her neck.

“You smell perfect as always,” he complimented her, and his voice against her skin was unfortunately hitting her right in her sensitive areas. She didn’t know if she would be able to resist Eli for long.

“Thank you,” she replied in gratitude, then nearly jumped when she felt his hand on her bare leg. 

He did nothing beyond that, though, and they silently watched the new Manny Santos movie that was on a film channel.

* * *

“I can’t  _ wait _ until graduation,” Eli said before taking a bite of a barbecue wing. “But it feels like yesterday since I first moved down here for my NYU internship with Brett Barnett.”

“It feels like four long years for me,” Marisol replied as she ate a slice of her loaded pan pizza with stuffed cheese. It was hot, big, and full of cheesy goodness just how she liked it. “We have been doing long distance for so long.”

“Yeah, four years of not seeing my beautiful girlfriend in person every day has been a struggle for me,” he agreed while giving her a melancholy look, “I get jealous seeing all the couples on campus since that couldn’t be us.”

“Well after we graduate this year, we have the rest of our lives together, right?” She asked him, hoping for the conversation to shift where she wanted it to.

He only nodded in response. “We do.”

“Well, what’s next for us then?”

“I don’t know,” he answered as he finished his barbecue wing before picking up another one to eat. “I haven’t thought much of it.”

She tried not to let the disappointment on her face show from that. Instead she gave him a tight smile as she continued to eat her pizza. When she was done, she chose to speak again before picking up another slice.

“You know, Eli, it feels like a lifetime since our junior year,” she began, “I’ll never forget how intriguing I thought you were when you stepped out of your hearse on the first day of school. I thought you were weird, but I was immediately attracted to you despite that because you gave off a confident aura that I liked. It’s been a wild journey since then, but I don’t want to take back any of that because I love you. The one constant I have in my life is that I’m deeply in love with you and don’t see a future with any other man but you,” she confessed as she tried not to let her emotions take over her.

Eli smiled at her. “I love you too, Mare. It took a few bumpy obstacles before we got together for me to realize that I was in love with you too, but I’m glad I ultimately did. After all these years, I can say that there’s only one girl in the universe that matters to me and it’s you,” he replied.

“So there’s something we can do, right? To make our love official?” She questioned him. She was desperately hoping for him to at least bring up marriage.

Her hope deflated when he only shrugged in response.

“I think it’s pretty official enough as it is, Princess,” he answered before taking a sip of his cup of Pepsi. “What else would you need for it to be official?”

“Nothing I guess. Sorry I asked,” Marisol replied with an apologetic smile.

She didn’t say anything else after that. She focused on eating her pepperoni pan pizza slices that filled her belly up with warmth. She ate some of the barbecue wings too with Eli while the movie was still playing. A nice, hot meal usually brings her a quick comfort.

But right now, she felt cold.

* * *

She couldn’t sleep much after tonight.

As she laid in Eli’s bed with him, she thought about how this trip was more than likely going to lead to heartbreak for her. Her boyfriend was sleeping peacefully and he was spooning her while she faced away from him. The room was completely dark and the only sounds that could be heard was the cars driving around outside. The streets of Manhattan provided a much noisier atmosphere than her upper middle class, suburban neighborhood in Toronto. She should have hated it, but she didn’t. It was like she was born to experience the excitement of the city with Eli by her side.

But even as they were laying together in bed, she had never felt so lonely since before they got together in high school. The way Eli kept dodging her questions about their future was hurting her completely and despite preparing to end this trip single, she knew she was going to break if he didn’t give her the answer she wanted.

Eli Goldsworthy, one of the most passionate and intense guys she knew, somehow didn’t have any real plans for how their relationship was going to go after university. It was unbelievable and not like him at all. Eli always had these plans, these ideas, for everything. He typically knew how he wanted to go about things involving his career, his schoolwork, his friendships, and more importantly their relationship. He had put so much effort over the years to make them work.

Yet, he didn’t have a real idea of what he wanted them to be in the future.

He loved her, there was no doubt about that, but did he want the same future she did? They weren’t always on the same page on things but this couldn’t be one of them. Either he was adamant about spending the rest of their lives together or he wasn’t. It was brutally that simple.

“Mare…,” he muttered in his sleep and she tensed as his hand fell on her breast while he rocked his hips against her. He was probably dreaming about them fucking since they didn’t do it at all today. 

He snapped his hips a few times, and due to their genital parts being so lined up against each other, it caused a reaction in her panties. She was tempted to turn over and wake him up so they could have sex for real.

There were some nights when they visited each other, where they would wake up randomly in the middle of the night to fuck then go back to sleep. It usually started from her having a random urge to suck his dick, or him fingering her clit from behind. They gave the other permission to wake them up with sex, and that was a factor too. She wanted to make love to him, she really wanted to, but she couldn’t.

If she fucked him only to find out he had no interest in putting a ring on her finger in the near future, she would hate herself.

* * *

Two days later, they still haven’t had sex and the atmosphere between them was uncomfortable because of that. They did fun things like go to the zoo in Central Park, walk around Times Square, go shopping, go to museums, and Eli planned for them to go to Coney Island on her last day here. However, the sparks between them weren’t flying.

One thing she did appreciate was that Eli didn’t pressure her into sex. He never did once in their relationship but it was hard not to think the worst when she spent most of her relationships with her jock exes being pressured into sex before she dated Eli. However, he never got mad at her once for not wanting sex even though that’s pretty half the usual activities they did when visiting each other. There was typically one day reserved where they had nothing  _ but  _ sex the whole day and in very creative ways.

But she was keeping her legs closed for the most part, and she could tell it was beginning to get to Eli even though he tried his best not to show it.

It was after they came back from an aquarium this afternoon, that Eli finally asked her about it.

“Mare, you know that I don’t care about sex as much as I do just being intimate with you, but you haven’t been in the mood at all so far and I’m worried. Are you feeling okay?” He asked with genuine concern in his voice. She stiffened as she tried to come up with a lie.

“I’m fine, Eli,” Marisol answered politely as she set her bag on the table.

“You sure? Because you haven’t been acting like my sexy little minx at all. I hope it isn’t something more serious…,” he pointed out as he stood next to her.

“It’s not, I promise,” she assured him with a smile.

“Mare don’t lie to me, please. You’re not a good liar,” he replied with a frown.

“Why would you assume I’m lying? I have nothing to lie to you about,” she said sharply as she moved away from him. Despite the fact that she  _ was  _ lying, she was still frustrated that he was on to her. And that he was still pressing her.

“You haven’t been thinking of those guys h-”

“ _ Drop it, _ ” she growled out, not even wanting him to finish the rest of that statement. She tried not to think much of the fact that she was sexually assaulted outside her job by two bikers these days, even though the “anniversary” of that was coming next month. It was the most traumatizing experience of her life and it took her years of counseling to come to terms with it. Eli was traumatized from that night as well so much of the beginning of their relationship was spent helping each other heal from that the best way they could.

“I’m sorry,” she heard him apologize as she got a bottle of water from his refrigerator. “I shouldn’t have brought that up at all,” he added, and she sighed at the hurt in his voice. She turned around to face him. She understood his worry, since she usually didn’t want to have sex around that time of year. It was too triggering. But that wasn’t what this was about.

“Eli, I’m just not in the mood for sex, okay? It has nothing to do with that night, I promise,” she reassured him. “We can just focus on other things tonight.”

“Okay,” he accepted, then he reached forward and wrapped his arms around her. She hugged him back, and everything was warm between them.

Eli kissed her gently on her forehead, and she wanted to feel bad for what she was putting him through.

* * *

The next night, Eli took her to the seafood place he reserved for their dinner.

Marisol tried not to gape in awe at the luxurious restaurant as she looked around the place. It was absolutely classy and had the aesthetic of a grand ballroom. It was big and grand, with red carpets, dark but warm lighting, giant crystal chandeliers, and classical musical playing. The place was busy with guests packed in every table and booth, dressed in the fanciest of clothes.

As their hostess led them upstairs to the second floor, Marisol couldn’t help but feel amazed at how much effort Eli put into their date tonight. Getting a reservation at this place must be a bitch so he had this planned for weeks at the minimum.

The hostess led them outside on a private balcony that had a nice view of the Manhattan streets below. There was a candle in the center of the table and daisies were surrounding it. With the sunset in the background, it was a perfect romantic setting.

“You like it?” Eli asked her with a smirk as he took his seat. He was dressed in a fine black shirt and vest with black dress pants and slacks. She was wearing a satin orange bodycon dress with brown gladiator heels and orange earrings. It was strapless. She decided to go with peach-flavored lip gloss for tonight with orange eyeshadow. Her long black hair was styled in waves with an orange flower in her hair.

She knew she looked good, and the way Eli was eying her in desire had her stomach tightening. The intense way he would look at her like she was the sexist thing on the planet was enough to get her aroused at times.

“I love it,” she answered as she sat down across from him. “This is  _ so  _ romantic,” she added as she picked up the menu to look at the options available. Her face blanched at the prices for most of the food. This place was definitely expensive.

“Don’t worry about the price. Order whatever you want because I’m paying for it,” Eli assured her. “Just focus on how amazing this place is.”

Their waiter came around and took their orders for appetizers, which were a small pot of steamed clams with garlic butter sauce. She wanted to order wine, but Eli refused to allow it for some reason so for now they both decided on water. They chatted amicably about small things as the sky darkened. The waiter came around with their clams while taking their orders for their dinner, and for a moment, Marisol wanted to pretend everything was fine. She was on a romantic dinner with her man, and eating rich, delicious seafood that was better than the typical Red Lobster fair. When the waiter came with her meal of king crab legs with a loaded potato and Cajun rice, she tried to focus on that since it provided a great distraction.

But she knew that tonight was the night she had to confront Eli on the matter of their future and that was hanging over her head the whole time they were having dinner.

* * *

Eli allowed her to have dessert as well.

After taking one final bite of her chocolate oreo cheesecake, Marisol fixed Eli with a hard look. “Elijah, we need to talk,” she said stiffly. This next conversation between them was going to decide their relationship. She wanted to think she was ready because she’s been preparing for this for months, but inside she was scared because she really didn’t want to let him go if he didn’t want to marry her. However, she knew it was necessary. It’s been five years since their junior year and while she knew she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Eli Goldsworthy, she was tired of not knowing if he wanted to spend the rest of  _ his _ life with her.

“I know,” he replied to her surprise. She bit her lip before responding.

“Alright so here’s the thing-“

“But first I want to do something,” he cut her off, “Marisol, close your eyes for me.”

“Why?”

“Just do it. And don’t open them until I tell you too,” he ordered firmly. She gave him a weird look before complying. The next few minutes was eerily quiet between them as she could see nothing but total darkness. Because of the fact that they were on a private balcony, the only sounds she could hear right now was the cars driving below them and the classical music playing softly from inside the restaurant. Oh, and the light shuffling of feet for some reason. 

The more this dragged on, the more nervous she got. What the hell was Eli planning? She was not in the mood for one of his elaborate schemes right now. 

“Okay, Mare. Open your eyes,” he commanded casually, and she did. 

She promptly let out as gasp when she saw what was in front of her.

Eli was on one knee in front of her while holding a rose-gold ring with a pearl center and tiny diamonds encircling it. He had a hopeful, but nervous smile on his face. There was a crowd of restaurant staff surrounding them, with one of the staff members holding an expensive camera, while the other was recording them with Eli’s phone.

“Oh my God....,” she commented as her heart started hammering in her chest while her stomach tightened in anticipation. She could even feel tears welling up in her eyes already. He took a deep breath before speaking.

“Marisol,” he began, “I remember when I first saw you at the beginning of junior year. You and Katie were just standing there along with everyone as nearly all of you looked at me like I was the biggest freak that ever pulled up at Degrassi. Understandable in hindsight, since I was driving a hearse and normal teenagers don’t drive hearses,” he said in amusement, “But unlike everyone else, you were looking at me differently. What I saw from you was interest, and I wondered what that interest could possibly be from a girl like you. I’m ashamed to admit that I judged you on first sight. While I immediately saw you as one of the most beautiful girls I have ever laid eyes on, I unfortunately saw you as just that. A pretty face with nothing else to offer, but you fought hard to prove me wrong and you did.”

She did. Even though he got swept up in that chaotic romance with Clare Edwards at the beginning of the school year, she still pursued him in subtle ways because she considered herself a vixen that could get any guy. She obviously hadn’t failed yet since she got the guy she wanted.

“You kept trying to get closer to me throughout the year by flirting with me in classes, at dances, at school events, and by signing up for the school plays. I refused to allow you to be in the fall play, but you know how Love Roulette went. On one fateful day, you volunteered to do stage makeup for the play and I allowed it because no one else offered to do it. I was mentally hurting from my breakup with Clare, and physically hurting from crashing my hearse into a wall to keep her. I was at my lowest point where I couldn’t even write a good script for the play because I didn’t have the motivation. But you gave me the motivation, and despite me wanting to spend endless days holes up in my room, you instead pushed me to still have a life outside the nightmare I was living in whether it was you taking me to Movie Night, you and I studying together for class, or us talking while eating at Little Miss Steaks. You just wanted to spend time with me. Most girls were scared of me at that time, but you still had feelings for me and didn’t see me as a psycho. You wanted to know me beyond the goth kid obsessed with death. I kept trying to resist bonding with you but it wasn’t successful, and it wasn’t long before I was falling for you. I dreamed of you at night, and what you could do for me. Clare was moving out of my mind, and you moved in with your pom-poms and glittery lipstick instead,” he continued.

“I don’t need to go into the bad things that happened that semester because it’s not necessary right now. I hurt you while you were struggling with something because I tried to fight my feelings for you, and I nearly lost you forever because of it. End of story. You don’t know how grateful I am every day that you forgave me even though I didn’t deserve it. To this day, I don’t know what you see in me when I’m an overdramatic, sometimes pretentious film snob with a lot of baggage from my previous relationships but I know what I see in you. You’re my bright, bubbly, hilarious, fierce, sweet, and sexy girlfriend and you bring me a happiness nothing else can just by you flashing your beautiful smile at me. High school was rough for me but I made it through with you by my side because you were a light in the darkness. You’re everything to me. You’re my star in the sky that I see every night, you’re the sun that shines in my face every day, and when the sun sets, I think of what the future holds for us. When people look at me, they wouldn’t know that my soulmate is a super girly cheerleader with a lip gloss obsession, but you are. You’re my twin flame. Even when we’ve been far apart these past four years, I’ve never stopped being madly in love with you, but I think we both know at this point that it’s time to end this long-distance relationship in the best way. Marisol Antoinette Lewis, I want to spend the rest of our lives together. Will you do me the honor of marrying me?” Eli asked, and she was blown away by the power in his voice even though it should have been expected.

Marisol couldn’t breathe for a moment after he was finished. Her head was spinning, and she felt like she was about to faint. She couldn’t believe this was happening even though she fantasized about it since their high school graduation at the least. 

As she looked around their area, everything finally clicked to her. The high-class restaurant, the private balcony with a nice view of the Manhattan streets below them, the daisies on their table, the candles surrounding them, the soft romantic music playing in the background, and the fancy outfits Eli wanted them to wear. This was a proposal dinner, and maybe she should have seen it coming but she was so paranoid about Eli not wanting to move forward with their relationship, that she was too scared to see it.

But her fears meant nothing because now her boyfriend just gave her the romantic proposal she always dreamed of. He was really serious about this. He wanted her to be his wife. Marisol’s face crumpled up as tears streamed down her face and she began to cry. Thank God, she wore waterproof makeup.

“Well? Do the tears mean yes?” Eli asked her again with a nervous look on his face. The only thing she could do at the moment was respond with a slowly nod. His face lit up in joy as a big smile grew on his face. She continued to cry as he slid the engagement ring on her finger. Dozens of pictures were being taken of them by the photographer and the other one was still recording. The other staff members clapped cheerfully.

They both got up together, and he pulled her into a tight hug as she continued to cry in his shoulder. “You really thought I didn’t want to marry you after all these years? Of course I do, silly. I love you, Princess,” he told her warmly while rubbing her back soothingly. 

“Would the bride-to-be like some celebratory champagne?” She heard one of the staff members ask. 

“When she’s done soaking up my suit, yeah,” Eli answered jokingly.

She finally pulled back from him to kiss him passionately on his lips.

* * *

_ Flashback to a few months beforehand  _

_ He had honestly waited for this moment since their high school graduation, and the fact he was actively inside a ring shop looking for the perfect engagement ring for Marisol still didn’t feel real. _

_ “I’m pretty sure that as long as it has a giant rock, she’s gonna love it,” Adam advised over the phone as Eli walked around the store. It was in the mall, and only a few people were inside. _

_ There were thousands of rings available, but he needed one that would specifically stand out to his girlfriend. Therefore in his mind, the average diamond ring wouldn’t be enough for his special girl. _

_ “I want more than just a big rock. Mare deserves something unique but beautiful,” he replied as he tried to pick out something different. He walked up to a worker behind the counter. _

_ “Did you need help, sir?” The worker asked him politely.  _

_ “Yeah, hold on Adam,” he replied as he put his friend on the phone. “I’m looking for an engagement ring for my girlfriend.” _

_ “Ah, perfect,” the worker said with a smile, “What are you looking for in particular?” _

_ “Well she’s very girly and traditional, but I also want to add my own special flair to it to symbolize our relationship,” Eli explained as he thought about her. It may seem a bit young for a twenty two year old to think about marriage but after five years of dating, he knew he was deeply in love with Marisol Lewis and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. _

_ Their relationship seemed impossible at first with how different they were personality wise, and he certainly spent months agonizing over his feelings for her before they officially got together at prom at the end of their junior year. It led to him doing something he regretted, and he nearly lost her over it. He would probably never stop apologizing for it even after she had long forgiven him for it and let him be her boyfriend. Their relationship was the best thing that happened to him and they pretty much helped each other grow beyond their high school attitudes. With her bubbly, strong, but caring attitude, Marisol was unexpectedly a light in his life after the failures from his previous relationships with Julia and Clare, and he couldn’t imagine a world without her at this point. She was his soulmate, his other half, and the brightest star in his sky. _

_ “Hmm,” the worker reasoned as she reached down into the glass case and pulled out a selection of diamond rings of various sizes and bands. “Would any of these work?” _

_ Eli looked down at them. The rings were all extravagant and gorgeous but missing a certain spark to them. “They’re....nice. But I think I want more than just a diamond....,” a thought popped up in his head, “Wait she really likes pearls. Do you guys have pearl engagement rings?” _

_ “Yes, we do. Pearl rings symbolize loyalty, integrity, generosity, and purity which would be a perfect fit for your cute bride to be,” she replied warmly as she put the rings back in the case. She walked over to another section and showed him a selection of pearl wedding rings. “How about these?” _

_ His eyes fell on one in particular. It was a rose gold band with a giant pearl in the center and diamonds encircling it and lining up the sides. It was fancy and flashy enough to appeal to Marisol and the rose gold made it special. _

_ “This one is perfect,” he pointed out with a smile as he gestured to the ring. He was already fantasizing about sliding it on her finger. _

_ Marisol has been hinting that she wanted marriage for months, and he acted nonchalant about it to throw off his true intentions so when he actually proposed to her, she would be genuinely surprised. _

_ She was going to be pissed at him probably but the happiness she was going to feel when he popped the question was going to overpower that anger. _

_ Because there was no need to be angry when they were going to spend the rest of their lives together. _

* * *

There was only one thing she wanted to do after dinner.

Their lips continuously smashed against each other as they made their way back inside Eli’s apartment, with their tongues clashing against each other as well. Their kisses were intense, passionate, and hungry due to the sex she had been denying them. After dinner, there was no longer a need for her to do that. 

Marisol pulled away from her now fiancé, pushed him against the door, and got down on her knees in front of him. She looked up and gave him a sultry look as she unbuckled his pants and pulled them down along with his boxers, freeing his dick.

She spat on his tip before taking him as deep in her mouth as she could, eliciting a hard moan from Eli. She pulled back, spat on him again, and slowly began to suck him while stroking the base. She repeated the cycle every few minutes while sucking in her cheeks so she could take him further in her mouth with each suck. 

“Mare….,” Eli groaned out in a cracked voice as he looked down at her. After a few minutes, she pulled her mouth off of him and rose up.

“I need you to fuck me,” she ordered in a husky voice, taking his hand. She led him to the couch and pushed him down. She then pulled up her skirt and removed her panties in front of him while he simply watched her in wonder.

She climbed on top of him and sank herself down on his erect cock, letting out a soft moan at the feel of him inside of her after so long. As she moved her hips up and down, Eli held onto her hips to give her balance. His eyes were hazy but full of surprise. She continued to moan while riding him vigorously on the couch. 

Eventually Eli came, and she slowed down before lifting herself off of him. With a final moan, she sat back on his couch while panting heavily. Eli lifted himself up and gave her an amazed look.

“I wasn’t expecting that,” he said.

“Me...neither,” she replied, “I thought tonight was going to go bad.”

“What, you were planning to break up with me if we didn’t discuss marriage?” He asked her, and she couldn’t help but feel stupid for even entertaining that idea now that she knew his true intentions. But the paranoia and frustration she felt for months were just piling up on her.

“I was tired of you dodging the question when I was seriously thinking about our future. I was worried you weren’t doing the same,” she answered. Eli scooted next to her.

“I’m sorry for making you think that,” he apologized, “I actually have been thinking about spending the rest of my life with you since high school, Mare, I just wanted it to be a total surprise when I popped the question.” 

“Well I was surprised alright,” she replied with a laugh, though she had the urge to start crying again. This night was such an emotional roller coaster. “I was so scared this wasn’t actually going to happen between us. I prepared myself to stay in a hotel room tonight, tomorrow, and then go back to Toronto with tears in my eyes. I know it sounds dumb after all we’ve been through but I was just so anxious this trip so far because I was worried for months that you had no plans for our future.”

Eli took her hand gently in his and stared deeply into her eyes.

“I love you, Marisol. I’ll make sure you know that for the rest of your life. I want to marry you and give the wedding of your dreams. I want us to live together. I want to travel the world together. I want you to have my children. I want us to grow old together. The past four years have been me fantasizing about the life we can build together. If there’s one thing I prioritize more than making sure my dreams happen, it’s you. You’ll always be my number one priority, and honestly you’re my dream too,” he confessed, and with that, tears welled up in her eyes. A knot grew in her stomach.

“Oh Eli…..,” she replied, before she leaned and captured his lips in a deep kiss, cupping his cheek at the same time. He kissed back intensely before pulling away, biting down on her lip while he did so.

“You up for another round?” He asked her with a sultry look. 

“Hell yeah, I am,” she answered enthusiastically. They then both got up.

“Let’s head to my room and celebrate then,” he said with a smirk as he grabbed her hand again. She giggled as he led her into his bedroom.

They proceeded to spend all night “celebrating” their engagement by getting lost in each other the best way.

* * *

  
Two days later, Marisol had to leave to go back to Toronto and it was the worst feeling.

“I don’t want to go back,” Marisol said sadly as he drove her to the airport. A taxi wouldn’t be enough for this emotional goodbye.

“I don’t want you to either,” he replied. After getting she accepted his proposal, he just wanted her to move in with him already but unfortunately university came first. It didn’t mean he wasn’t going to miss her like hell until June though. 

“At least it’s only three months until I move in, right?” She asked with an excited smile. 

“Right,” he agreed with his own excited smile. Despite the sad knot in his stomach, he couldn’t help but match her energy. Her smiles were infectious; It was one of the reasons he fell for her in the first place.

He pulled out the spare key he had made for her weeks ago and held it out to her. “And this is for you when it’s time for you to come down.”

She gingerly took it in her gloved hand and put it in her coat pocket. “I get a ring  _ and  _ a key. I’m just winning right now, am I?” She asked cheerfully.

“You’re not winning more than me, who’s engaged to a literal goddess,” he replied. Marisol giggled in response.

“You flatter me too much, Emo Bear.”

They shared one final hug and tender kiss before pulling apart. Marisol gave him one more happy look before waving him goodbye and walking inside the airport. He waved back before watching her retreating form. He always did this until she was completely out of sight.

He was going to miss her for the next couple months as always, that much was certain. 

But this was going to be the last time they parted because after they graduated, it was forever.

His future was bright and it had a name.

Marisol Antoinette Lewis-Goldsworthy.


End file.
